the difference between the intelligent and the dull

May 28th, 1976

Sukadeva prabhu raised a common complaint against the mood of humble service and dependence that a religionist seeks to cultivate. "Those persons who are atheistic, they say that God is created out of a necessity, that people have a necessity to have their father image, so therefore they create religion. Man needs a father image, so therefore he creates the idea of God. They say that because people are feeling this necessity, it is a crutch."

Prabhupada turned the argument on its head, offering a simple but practical example as to why the feeling of necessity is actually a symptom of advanced life. "No, no. Necessity means there is. Otherwise why necessity? When you feel hungry, the necessity of food, food is there. The necessity of light, the sun is there."

"Do you mean, Srila Prabhupada, in order to conceive of something, a thing must be there?" Sukadeva asked.

"There is no 'conceive.' Necessity. You require it. Just like when you're hungry you require food. Food is there. The eyes want to see; therefore the object of seeing is there. The hand wants to touch, so the object of touching is there. The nose wants to smell; the object of smell is there. So as soon as you feel necessity, the thing is there."

"They say that necessity should not be God," Sukadeva said, "but that it should be transferred to man."

"I am not talking of God," Prabhupada told him. "I say as soon as you feel necessity, the object is there."

Gopavrndapala joined the argument. "That necessity is our mistake. That is our insecurity."

Prabhupada laughed. "So you are in mistake, then you are rascal, that's all. Mistake is committed by rascal. If you commit mistake then you are rascal. Then don't talk, stop talking! Who is going to hear a rascal? No sane man will hear."

He stopped walking for a moment and turning to Gopavrndapala, developed his point further. "Feeling hungry, there is no necessity of food? Who's that rascal who will say, 'No, there is no necessity of food'? He's feeling hungry, he wants to eat something, and if he says, 'No, there is no necessity of food,' then is he not rascal? And if you say, 'Now we are feeling the necessity of food, but that is my mistake,' is that answer?"

Therefore, he told us, the feeling of necessity is the difference between the intelligent and the dull. The dull have no necessity and the intelligent have necessity. "Dull matter. It has no necessity. It is dull matter. And as soon as you have got life, there is necessity. Without feeling necessity means dullness. Just like these Hawaiians, original inhabitants. They did not think the necessity of the skyscraper, motorcar ... But when it was inhabited by the Americans, they developed. That is the difference between advanced and not advanced."

- From the "A Transcendental Diary Vol 2" by HG Hari Sauri dasa